Thanks for the encouragement, SK. I feel better hearing that everyone falls some.

It was so much fun trying out the mounts & dismounts while rolling across a bumpy field. I've put in a lot of miles on the road bike over the last couple months, and cross has a great playful quality to it that's refreshing right now.

I came up laughing from my last spill. We'd been practicing the basics for about an hour... & at the end of the clinic, they had us line up in small groups & practice sprinting off the start. Well, 2 of the women in my group were immediately off & away. I got a slow start (no cleats!!!), but got caught up quickly in the excitement of the chase. I was focusing hard on keeping my sneakered feet on the pedals, as I pedaled as fast as I could around the mini-course. It didn't occur to me early enough, though, that since I was going faster, I needed to start my dismount from further behind the first barrier... I dismounted just as I hit the barrier & then did a sort of slow motion tip over. Classic beginner, I'm sure.